NO. 2287. COLLECTION OF ECCLESIASTICAL ART—CASANOWICZ. 629 



by the Dominican Padre Domeuico Partigiani and Angelo Serrano 

 after the designs of Giovanni da Bologna and others about 1602. 

 23 by 18 inches.— Italy. (Cat. No. 179093, U.S.N.M.) 



173. Wooden die for jnctures of the Madonna. — 3| by 2f inches. — 

 Italy. (Cat. No. 179064, U.S.N.M.) 



174. Leaden Die for the Picture of Saint Rojnuald (about 

 950-1027) founder of the Camaldolese order. — Oval, 2| by If inches. — 

 Italy. (Cat. No. 179065, U.S.N.M.) 



KELIGIOUS MEDALS. 



Religious medals have the object to commemorate persons (Christ, 

 Mary, saints, and angels) and historical events (dogmatic definitions, 

 miracles, anniversaries, dedications, etc.). They arc issued by 

 various ecclesiastical authorities and by confraternities for badges 

 and decoration of their members. They are worn by the faithful 

 and believed to be, by reason of their having been blessed by a priest, 

 a means of grace and to possess protective virtues. 



175. Out of about 350 of such medals in the collection of the 

 United States National Museum, 16 are reproduced on the plate. 

 They represent — 1, St. Benedict (480-543), founder of the order of 

 the Benedictines; 2, St. Joseph and the Infant Jesus; 3, the Virgin 

 with the Infant; 4, the Virgin, surrounded by rays; 5, Leo XIII, 

 Pope, 1878-1903; 6, the sacred hearts of the Holy Family (Jesus, 

 Mary, Joseph); 7, head of St. Anastasius, monk and martyr; 8, St. 

 Benedict; 9, St. Louis de Gonzaga (1568-1591), holding a crucifix 

 and a skull; 10, the Trinity; 11, the Holy Family; 12, St. Francis 

 of Assisi (1182-1226), founder of the order of Franciscans; 13, Virgin 

 and the Infant, enthroned; 14, iirms of the Capuchins of Milan, 

 Italy, in 1856; 15, St. Joseph with the Infant; 16, the Virgin with the 

 Infant, crowned.— Italy. (Plate 83, Cat. No. 179077, U.S.N.M.) 



VOTIVES. 



Votive offerings are set up in churches or chapels as a thanks- 

 giving for some signal answer to prayer, resulting in the deliverance 

 from peril or the cure of disease. Usually a likeness of the part of 

 the body healed, in silver or some other material, is put up. The 

 custom was also in vogue among the ancient Greeks and Romans. 



176. Votive offerings. — Made of silver foil. Consisting of models 

 of two hearts, an arm, a pair of e3^es, a pair of breasts, a praying 

 woman, and a child.— Italy. (Cat No. 179069, U.S.N.M.) 



177. Votive offerings. — Made of hollow wax. Representing a 

 pair of eyes, an arm, and the foot of a horse. — Seville, Spain. (Cat. 

 No. 167064, U.S.N.M.) 



178. Votive offering. — Made of silver amalgam in form of a tower. 

 Height, 2f inches.— Potisi, Bolivia. (Cat. No. 179104, U.S.N.M.) 



